Faith & Life

Duty as a Father

I was wandering around in the world, without anyone to rely on. Then, one day, my colleague in my former company introduced the Church of God to me. Unlike the heartless world, the Church of God had a bright atmosphere, and all the members looked happy. When I realized the Spirit and the Bride who give the water of life to my soul, I was overjoyed, thinking, “I’ve found where I should go at last!” and received a new life. Afterwards, listening to sermons became a part of my daily life. Through sermons, I was able to gain greater understanding about the principle of the soul, and the more I realized, the more I was reminded of my family. I…

Lee Jeom-do from Ulsan, South Korea

Eyes

The eye transforms an image of an object reflected on the retina into electrochemical information and delivers it to the brain through the optic nerve. The eye receives information more than any other senses of the body. It is so important that people say, “Eyes take 90% of the body.” However, it is very sensitive to external stimuli, so even a small dust particle can cause great inconvenience. This is why the eyeball, the main organ of the eye, is assisted by many appendages. First, the eyelid covers the exposed eyeball and protects it, moving up and down and washing the eye with tears to make it shiny and transparent. When it is exposed to wind or strong light, it…

The Effect of Hugging

At a subway station in Seoul, Korea, a drunk made a noise, arguing with police officers. Then, a man watching the scene approached the drunk and embraced him, patting his back. Soon, the drunk quickly calmed down. Those who watched this video on the Internet were impressed by the man who calmed the stranger by hugging him. Hugging the other person with open arms may seem like a simple action, but there is an amazing power hidden in it. A hug increases the secretion of oxytocin, a hormone that makes you feel psychologically stable, while cortisol, a stress hormone, decreases. Hugs thus make you feel loved and comfort the exhausted. It also relieves negative emotions such as anxiety and fear.…

Living Room with Family Culture

A house usually consists of bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a living room, and each space has a different purpose. In general, the bedrooms are used for sleeping and keeping clothes and belongings; the bathroom is a room for washing and doing the family’s needs; and the kitchen is where the family cooks and eats. Then, what is the living room for? The living room in the center of the house is used in various ways as a space to receive guests and a place where family members use together. Above all, it is a place where all family members gather. People instinctively want to feel a sense of belonging, and in order to satisfy that desire, they need…

The Fruit of Patience

Participating in the gospel work in the continent of Europe has been accompanied by the love and blessings of Heavenly Father and Mother. Patience is one of many things I have learned while preaching diligently. Just as farmers grow and harvest crops with patience, Father and Mother have taught me the patience it takes for one soul to receive a new life. While preaching the gospel diligently in London, I had not been able to bear fruit for a long time. Many people showed interest in the words of God when we preached in the street, but that was just it. Many people did not keep their promise to meet again. Also, even after studying the Bible several times, many…

Pamela Lau from London, U.K.

Two Executives

The CEO of a company came up with an innovative idea after much consideration. If the idea would be shaped up after thorough market research, it would be an opportunity of great success indeed. The CEO called in two executives and ambitiously explained the idea to them who could be entrusted with the new work. He asked them with expectation. “Which department wants to take up the project?” Then, one executive answered with a somber look: “My department may not be able to do it. Manager Lee has a weak drive, and Assistant Manager Park is not flexible. Choi is lazy and often late for work. I can’t entrust any work to them. I’m frustrated with my department members, too.”…

On Behalf of My Parents

I’m the oldest of my eight siblings. When I was young, I did the housework and took care of my younger siblings on behalf of my working parents. My mom worked shifts as a certified nurse assistant. So, once she went to work, I couldn’t see her for thirty-two hours, sometimes sixty-eight hours. I prepared meals for her, washed and ironed her nurse clothes so that she could rest comfortably when she got home from work. She used to ask me like this. “My love, thank you for being my right hand. Help your younger siblings get ready for school. When you walk with them to the bus stop, make sure they are all in front of you and follow…

Lailahni Efa Rose Tuaila from San Diego, CA, U.S.

Good Persons

“Those who do the right thing even when no one else is watching.” “Those who have good manners towards everyone regardless of age, status, race, educational attainment, or wealth, and remember to say ‘Thank you’ and ‘Please.’ ” “Those who know that the earth does not revolve around them alone.” “A person who leaves an opening on the road when stopping in front of a driveway or thruway so that any car turning in or coming out can get through.” “Those who value others at least as much as they value themselves.” “Those whose automatic response to strangers is compassion and friendship.” “Those who make this world a better place than when they entered it by the time they leave…

How to Fall Well

Judo is a fighting game in which two players fight with their bare hands, using the power of the other player to throw, take down, choke, or push. If you start learning Judo, you’ll first practice break-falls, not attack skills. Break-falls are techniques that keep your body safe when it is thrown or falls suddenly. The process of learning break-falls is not easy at all. You come to have bruises and damages on your whole body, and you’re likely to get tired if you repeat them innumerably until you get used to them. Even though break-falls are not the techniques to defeat your opponent like throwing and grappling techniques, the reason players practice it for a long time is that…

Time to Start

The roof of a house was broken by a strong typhoon. The house owner could not even think about repairing the roof although rain fell from the ceiling when it rained. The owner thought, ‘When it stops raining, I’ll repair the roof.’ After the rain stopped, however, he once again changed his mind, seeing the clear sky. ‘This week, I need to weed out in the field, so I’ll repair it next week.’ A week later, the house owner even regarded it as annoying. ‘There will be no rain for a while, so I’ll repair it in the rainy season.’ While postponing it again and again, the rainy season returned and the house was messed up by heavy rains. British…

Love that Gives Strength

Last summer, an unprecedented rain spell caused severe flood damages. I volunteered for the flood recovery efforts with the Church of God Young Adult Worker Volunteer Group [ASEZ WAO]. As we arrived at the village, the residents were already cleaning the dust with sweat. Greenhouses were all ruined, and it was hard to recover their household items. Most residents barely pulled themselves together. I could feel the sadness from their worried faces. We moved to our allotted areas. We used shovels to scoop out the dust and garbage, which covered the greenhouses, put them in sacks, and brought them outside. The place was so sweltering that even the heatwave warning was issued due to the sizzling hot and humid weather.…

Mun Su-jeong from Gwangju, South Korea

Daughter of an Independent Activist

In 1915 when World War I was in full swing, a second-generation Korean American Susan Ahn was born in Los Angeles, California, U.S. When the Pacific War1 broke out, she volunteered for the U.S. Navy, but because of being Asian, she failed the officer test. But she tried again and became the first Asian American woman to join the U.S. Navy. Even after she became an officer, she was excluded from the code-breaking task for six months just because she’s an Asian. Later, however, her ability was acknowledged and she became the first Asian American cryptanalysis expert in the U.S. Armed Forces. 1. The war between Japan and the Allies from 1941 to 1945. As part of World War II,…

Understanding and Care Instead of Advice or Pointing Out

Family conflicts are often caused by hard-hitting words. Speakers often think that honest advice and pointing out will help the other person, while the person who hears it often get wounded or stressed. A Jewish saying goes, “A hundred harsh words of a stranger are bearable, but a single unkind word of your friend deeply hurts you.” It means that the wound we receive from a close person lasts long. The advice that offends the other person’s feelings leaves only scars, not much effect. But if you understand and sympathize with the other person with interest in what he says, many things will change. It is a kind of love to give advice and point out the shortcomings with sincerity…

Though We Cannot Meet

Ever since the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) hit the world, our circumstances have changed drastically in the United States. Almost everything in our daily life had stopped, including our job, and we could not even go to church. Despite the situation, the work of salvation for souls has been remarkably fulfilled with God’s help. A sister called me one day and asked me if I could study over the phone with a brother’s wife who had all of a sudden shown interest in the Bible. I willingly said I was available. I studied with Debbie twice almost every week over the phone. Studying with her in a situation where we could not meet freely, I was anxious. I was worried if…

Amelia Kitinoja from Denver, CO, U.S.

A Man Who Works for the Country

At a construction site where a school was to be built, a morning assembly was held before the construction began. The director asked the workers. “What do you work for?” Then one laborer said, “I have no other reasons but just to eat and live.” Another one said with a sigh, “My business collapsed and I have to pay off my debts. Every day I feel like I’m dying.” The answers from others were similar. At that time a worker said, “I work for my country.” All eyes turned towards him, and he spoke with pride. “Children, our future generation, will sing, exercise, and study at the school that I’m building. So I’m not just doing labor, but nurturing talents…

Say, “I’m Sorry,” Before the Sunset

When winter passed and spring was about to begin, lockdown was issued in all cities in the U.K. It was an action taken to prevent the spread of the virus as the number of confirmed cases and deaths increased every day due to the global outbreak of COVID-19. As I started working from home, I was able to have more time with my family. It was really good at first. However, as time went by, I started being in conflict more often with my husband. As we felt comfortable with each other, we spoke less carefully, which ended up hurting each other’s feelings. One day, we raised our voices a little while arguing over something trivial. While trying to ignore…

Kim Du-ri from Manchester, U.K.

Before Speaking

A word of wisdom repays a debt, but a careless word like a thorn that you spit out leaves a scar on the other person’s heart. Then, what should we think before speaking? The answers are contained in the spelling of the word, “THINK.” Is it True? Is it Helpful? Is it Inspiring? Is it Necessary? Is it Kind? Like this, before speaking, you need to examine if what you are going to say is true and if it can help the listener. You also have to look at whether it has a positive impact, refrain from speaking if it is not necessary, and speak kindly. If you keep these five things in mind, you will be able to have…

Family Love and the Meaning of Life I’ve Learned in Zion

I thought making a lot of money is all I have to do as the head of a household. I was running a diner at Shenyang in China, where I was born and grew up, but I moved to Shanghai, two hours away by flight, to begin to work as a tour guide to make more money. When my pregnant wife went back to Shenyang to be well taken care of, I had to stay alone. But I had the sense of responsibility more than that of longing. Four years passed by quickly while staying away from my wife and child, meeting them only during the national holidays. I faced a challenging situation and had to make a choice whether…

Lee Guk-cheol from Jeju, South Korea

A Parent’s Heart

A man had to go abroad on business. He was worried about his wife, who had to take care of their five children alone for a couple of months without him. So he thought over how to relieve his wife’s burden, and he finally figured out one way. “Dad will give a great gift to the one who listens to your mom best while I’m gone.” The children cheered at Dad’s words. A few months later, the man returned from his business trip and asked his wife whom he should give the gift to among the five. Then his wife said, “The first child bore up well even in difficulties, caring his younger brothers and sisters and yielding to them.…

Ringwanderung

The Max Planck Society in Germany experimented with making people find their way through dense forests without a map and compass. As a result of tracking them with GPS, those who participated in the experiment went the right way while the sun was up, but when it got dark, they went round in circles. Although they walked twenty meters, they actually turned round and round within a four-meter radius. However, they did not recognize it. The phenomenon of going round in circles, thinking that they are going the right way is called Ringwanderung. It is a trekking term that combines “ring” (circle) and “wandering” (walking). Even professional mountain climbers often meet with a disaster due to Ringwanderung when they get…